New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1887-05-04
Millionaire Mackay,s wife.

..This is indeed a peculiar world,'
said a mining expert to reporter for
the Missouri Republican. II pick up
the papers and read of Mrs. Mackay's
doings in Paris-how she receives the
scions OF royalty, how she entertalns,
how she appears at the opera, how she
dresses, and how she does a thousand
other things; and then l scarcely con-
celve that, eighteen years ago she kept
a boarding house in Virginia City, and
that | was one Of her boarders. Yet
1t IS true, and often ponder over it.
She was a young widow then, with an
interesting child, who has since ma
tured into a young lady, and was re
Gently married to an Italian Prince of
some kind. That little girl has often
sat on my knee with a little tin can in
her hand, which contained the contri-
buttons Of her admirers.
I'm those days we lived principally
on canned food, and Mrs. Mackay's
back yard was paved with tin cans.
The child had selected a very pretty
can, which one of the boarders trans
formed into little bank. This was
partly filled with coin, the result of a
tribute which she levied on her friends.
She would climb on the boarders'
knees, and, shaking her little bank,
would say: is you lucky to-day?'
This query had the desired effect, and
the bank receipts were increased.
Even in her days of distress Mrs. Mac
kay was good woman. She person
ally superintendent affairs and made
her boarders as comfortable as posi-
BILE. Twas then a Superintendent I'M
der Fair, and Mackay was already a
millionaire. Mining stock was the
rage then, and I remember often how
she would come to me and some of the
other boarders and ask our advice
about certain stocks, and l am hap
Ply to say that the advice I gave her
was good, and if I had taken it N.Y.
self | would now be S5,OOO,OOO or
$6,OOO,OOO better off than I am.
s'Then Mackay took a shine to the
widow, and, being reputed one OF the
wealthiest men in camp. he found
smooth sailing. He couldn't win on
his shape nor his beauty, for every
body that has seen Mackay knows
that he wouldn't take aprize in a con-
gress OF beauty. They were married,
and the little girl no longer sat on
miners knees, and mamma s. delicate
hand no longer placed corned beef and
cabbage on the miners plates They
rose faster than Sheridan stock did
last summer, the only difference being
that their rise was backed by hard
coin. The great Comstock lode con-
tinued to pour forth it's richness, and
eMackay and his partner became i'm
mensely wealth. Although reared in
poor circumstances, Mrs. Mackay
showed her good sense by securing a
private tutor, by whom she was drill
ed and educated for five years. The
little daughter was put through the
same course and fitted to shine in the
most cultured society Of the Old World.
Then came the conquests in New York,
San Francisco, and finally the trip to
Europe. as
"a year ago was in Paris, and
one evening attended performance
at the Grand Opera-house. It was
a first night, and prominent in pri-
vate box were two ladies, bedecked
with diamonds and festooned with
flowers. They were the cynosure Of
all eyes. and, leveling my glasses, I
discovered behind the silks, flowers
and diamonds the face Of my former
landlady in Virginia City. The out
lines were the same, but time had
wrought it's changes. The young
lady with her was the little girl who
used to play on my knee. She had
grown out OF my recollection. AS
I stood looking at them midst the
flashing lights, the incense OF flowers
and the delicious music, 1 could not
help recalling something OF
Some one who breasted high water
Swan the North Fork and all that,
Just to dance with old Follansbee s
daughter,
The lily OF Poverty Flat